Marijuana Blog

While there are some states that have made marijuana legal, there are still some that haven't. Not even that but there are still states that are really against the idea of legalization and enforce the penalties rigorously. This definitely sucks for the stoners who happen to live within these states. This list tells the penalties for the worst states to get caught with weed in and what they deem a suitable punishment for the "crime" of possessing marijuana.

1. Oklahoma

Don't you dare get caught with bud in this state. While most other states are pushing to be green, Oklahoma is handing out life sentences for anyone in contact with a marijuana plant, including growing, selling, and possession. Keep your stoner lifestyle on the quiet side if you ever decide to visit this harsh state. And for those of you that live there, I hope you've perfected the art of being sneaky.

2. Texas

Marijuana possession accounts for half of the arrests made in this state annually. That's a lot of people going to jail just for having a plant. Unfortunately for Texas residents, there is a very low tolerance for potheads. A first time offender will face 180 days in jail, plus at least $2,000 in fines. Seems a bit extreme, especially because that punishment is allowed even for the possession of less than a gram.

3. Florida

I've never heard good things about Florida and weed, although I have seen some pretty awesome dank come from this sunny state. Props to the person who's growing it, since the cultivation of just one plant is a felony that can land a person up to five years in jail. This also goes for anyone caught possessing more than 20 grams of marijuana on them. For those carrying less than 20 grams, don't worry. If you get caught, you can go to jail for a year, not to mention the additional fines.

4. Louisiana

I've had friends that have visited this state and even the natives call their weed "the Brown Frown". I don't know if that's true for the whole state but that's how I was told it is in this southern state. Well, it gets worse. A man was just sent to jail in this state for possessing half of an ounce. He received twenty years. That seems highly extreme, doesn't it? This is the maximum amount of time that someone in Louisiana can get for a repeat marijuana offense. Even first time offenders are told that they're about to get a seriously long stay in prison. Mardi Gras doesn't seem that fun if you can't smoke and enjoy it, am I right?

5. Arizona

I've been to this state and I give the residents credit just for being able to deal with the insane heat. Stoners here have it pretty rough as well. For a first time offender, marijuana related crime is a felony. The sentence can be up to 18 months in jail, plus some seriously hefty fines. Arizona is the state that has the most severe punishment for a first time offender.

I know a few stoners from these states and I salute you. While my state is still kind of unsure of where it stands, you guys face serious danger just to get high. We respect you and hope that your weed is good enough to make getting busted worth it. Be smart, don't get caught!

Romania has become the tenth country in the EU to legalize medical marijuana. This is welcome new for those that are suffering from various ailments in Romania. Up until now people have had to either use medical marijuana illegally or use harmful pharmaceutical drugs.

Other European countries that have legalized medical marijuana include Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, Czech Republic, and Spain. I wonder how long the United States will sit on the sidelines at the national level. Not only does the Obama Administration refuse to legalize medical marijuana at a national level, but it continues to disrespect the will of voters at the state level by harassing medical marijuana program participants in states that have passed medical marijuana laws.

The United States federal government needs to step up an do what’s right and legalize medical marijuana at the federal level. Especially considering the US government produces medical marijuana for four federal patients, and owns patents relating to medical marijuana. History will look back on this hypocrisy and future American citizens will consider this area of federal policy to be a colossal failure.